Here are some highlights from the world of opinion, along with the latest editorials from The Oregonian editorial board.

Paul Krugman of The New York Times describes the hype behind the health care scandal at Veterans Affairs. "The goings-on at Veterans Affairs shouldn't cause us to lose sight of a much bigger scandal: the almost surreal inefficiency and injustice of the American health care system as a whole," he writes.

"Novick is now struggling with a collision of criteria to reframe his transportation fee," Nesbitt writes. "Shouldn't those who drive pay for the wear and tear on our streets? Then how do we treat Tri-Met riders when, as Novick told me, one bus has the impact of as many as 11,000 passenger cars?"